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My Life in Film: Part One

Chris Gould takes a look back at some of the features that have shaped his life

Not too long ago I was chatting to a friend about the ‘Soundtrack of Your Life’ feature that used to run on a popular radio station here in the UK, when it occurred to me that this formula could easily be applied to movies. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, people basically selected songs that either best summed up their emotional state at certain points in their lives, or just left a lasting impression because they kicked arse. When ‘borrowing’ this idea I decided to cast my mind back over the years and select a film to represent every year of my life (along with a few runners-up), starting with the year of my birth right up until 2009 (and potentially beyond). These films may not be the best of their respective years (or any other year for that matter), but each and every one of them left a lasting impression on me (for various reasons) and remain firm-favourites to this very day.

Because I'm now 'getting on a bit' (depressingly I think I'm actually the oldest person working for DVDActive), I've decided to break what started out as a much larger article into decade-long chunks. So, without further ado, here are my picks for 1975 to 1985.

1975: Jaws

Okay, so technically I wasn’t actually able to see Spielberg’s blockbuster at the time, let alone appreciate it (what with not actually being born and all). However, the rules of the game state that I must select one film for every year of my life, so here it is. I actually saw Jaws for the first time when I was very young courtesy of a late-night TV broadcast and some questionable parenting. Well, I say ‘saw it’, I actually watched most of it from behind the sofa. I was so traumatised by the sight of Ben Gardner’s head popping up through that hole in the boat that I couldn’t watch the film again until my teens (and I didn’t like to swim in the ocean as a kid either). Even so, it’s an all-time classic and serves as a fitting place to begin my journey. In this year I also enjoyed The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which probably says more about me than I'd like.

1976: Rocky

I had a tough time selecting a film for 1976. I briefly toyed with the idea of selecting Taxi Driver, but in the end that felt too much like I was trying to be cool because it's never been one of my favourite films. On the other hand, Rocky is an enjoyable underdog story that I have very fond memories of. Okay, so I was probably more familiar with its sequels as a kid (especially the one with Mr. T), but as I grew up I came to appreciate the original film and I'm pleased that Stallone has enjoyed a resurgence in recent years.

1977: Star Wars

I don’t actually remember the first time I saw the original Star Wars. I guess I must have been around five or six, and I think it must have been on Betamax or TV. Regardless of when I saw the film, it was the start of a love affair that would continue for the rest of my life. Any regular visitor to the site will know that I'm a rabid fan of George Lucas' original trilogy, and this is the film that started it all. None of the reviews, articles and arguments would have been possible without this ground-breaking film, which stands as one of the true cinematic landmarks. It's not actually my favourite Star Wars film, but in its original incarnation it's certainly one the most enjoyable flicks I've ever seen. In fact, I love Star Wars so much that no other film even gets a look in for this year.

1978: Superman: The Movie

This was an easy choice for me, as I still rate Richard Donner’s take on the Man of Steel as one of the best superhero movies of all time. Although I have quite vivid memories of attending the cinema to view the sequel, Superman II, it is Donner's original that I still return to after all of these years. Although the effects are dated by today's standards, they still hold up to fairly close scrutiny and the tongue-in-cheek tone of the film is just perfect. Christopher Reeve may be gone, but he certainly won't be forgotten. I also enjoyed Animal House, Jaws 2 and Dawn of the Dead from this year, but nothing could touch the Man of Steel.

1979: Alien

This was actually a rather easy decision. Although '79 saw the release of the classic Apocalypse Now and the hilarious Monty Python's Life of Brian, it is the cold, dirty future of Ridley Scott's Alien that finds its way into my DVD player more often than any other film from this year. I don't remember the first time I saw the film, but I do remember that I was probably too young and it scared he bejesus out of me. H. R. Geiger's acid-blooded xenomorph is one of the greatest movie monsters of all time, and in this film it wasn't suffering from the over-exposure of recent years. Other films I enjoy from '79 include Disney's The Black Hole and Phantasm.

1980: The Empire Strikes Back

If Star Wars was the film that kick-started my love of sci-fi and cinema in general, Empire was the film that cemented it. In 1980 I was actually old enough to understand what was going on (on a childish level at least), but it wasn’t until later in life that I came to appreciate the film for what it is: one of the greatest genre pictures ever made. While Empire was always gong to be the winner, the decision wasn’t as easy as you might think. 1980 also saw the release of Superman II, which I can vividly remember seeing at my local cinema (which is now a bingo hall). I even had the glossy fold-out programme as a souvenir, although sadly that’s been lost to the mists of time. I'm sure there were other great films released in 1980, but as with Star Wars before it, Empire crushes them all (although I do like Airplane!, sorry Gabe)!

1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark

I was originally going to pick Clash of the Titans as this year's choice, because it was such a firm favourite of mine on Betmax (I rented the tape every week for months). However, in the end I simply couldn’t ignore the influence of Indy. I still have a soft spot for Harryhausen's work on Titans (and I loved mythology as a kid), but as I've grown older the joys of Henry Jones Jr.'s first adventure have grown on me. I wouldn't say I'm as big of an Indy fan as I am a Star Wars fan, but there's no denying the iconic status of the character. Oh, I almost forgot Dragonslayer and An American Werewolf in London, both of which I enjoy.

1982: E.T.

Christ, this was a difficult choice. 1982 saw the release of favourites such as Blade Runner, The Dark Crystal, TRON and The Thing, but in the end I had to go with the ultimate 80s children's film. Although I don’t have particularly detailed memories of much of my childhood, I distinctly remember my trips (plural) to watch E.T. at long-since-vanished cinemas in and around my home town. It probably sticks in the mind because it took an eternity to find a cinema that wasn’t sold out before I actually got to see it. When I did I cried like a baby (well, I was young), and the film still has a powerful effect on me to this very day, especially John Williams’ amazing score.

1983: Return of the Jedi

1983 also played host to another cinematic landmark for me, as it was the first time I ever watched all three of the Star Wars movies back-to-back in one sitting (without credits no less). This took place at the Orpheus cinema in Henleaze, Bristol, and once again it sticks in the mind on account of my elderly grandfather falling asleep about twenty minutes into the six-hour epic (and snoring for the rest of it)! I know Jedi often gets the short end of the stick when it comes to the original trilogy, but I think it's a satisfying resolution to the saga. Honourable mentions for this year go to the British fantasy film Krull—which had something of a cult following among me and my friends— WarGames and even Superman III.

1984: Gremlins

The eighties was a great decade for film, as evidenced by the pop-culture phenomenons that were Beverly Hills Cop, The Karate Kid, The Neverending Story and The Terminator. This year was probably the toughest decision yet, as a number of my favourite films found release in 1984. From the spooky comedy of Ghostbusters, to the darker Indy adventure, Temple of Doom, and the out-and-out horror of A Nightmare on Elm Street, this was a good year. However, one film stands above all of these as the one I most identify with, and that film is Gremlins. I love those cute little Mogwai and their spiny alter egos and I had the biggest crush on Phoebe Cates as a kid.

1985: The Goonies

Some of my favourite films from this year included Back to the Future, Fright Night, Weird Science, Mr. Vampire and Starchaser: The Legend of Orin, but The Goonies is the one I love the most (that's sure to piss of Gabe). I dig it out every now and then in an attempt to recapture a little bit of my lost youth, and it's still great. I'm especially happy now that I have it on Blu-ray and can watch the Truffle Shuffle in high definition!

So there you have it, my picks for the first ten years of my life. Now we're all different, so I'm sure that many (most) of you will disagree with my selections and have favourites of your own, so why not post your own list in the comments section below? Just remember, there is no right or wrong in this game, as these are the films that mean something to you personally. I hope you enjoyed the article and will play along at home. Be sure to stay tuned for part two of the feature in the coming weeks.

15th May 2009 14:06#3

Heh, Star Wars always wins for me. Would be nice to see some complete lists on there though. The above films are those that made a lasting impression on me as a kid (or later in life with some of them) for various reasons - either by scaring the c**p out of me (Jaws) or for being the talk of the playground (The Goonies).

15th May 2009 14:21#4

I can't argue with any of those, but I may change RotJ for Wargames or even Krull, but that's the only one I would change. I do have many 'honourable mentions, mind; 1984 would see Red Dawn, Buckaroo Banzai, Streets Of Fire, and of course Romancing The Stone ("look at those snappers, Ralph...)!

Oh, and by the way... as long as you weren't born before April '75, you hold the sprig of youth.

15th May 2009 14:47#7

leigh1975 wrote: Oh, and by the way... as long as you weren't born before April '75, you hold the sprig of youth. Thank God for that! You have me beaten by around sixth months! I can hold off on the pipe and slippers now

One thing I've noticed is that this list is getting harder the older I get. Once I got beyond the 90s I really started to struggle. 85-95 isn't bad going though.

15th May 2009 15:35#10

The day I was born, both Raiders of the Lost Ark and Clash of the Titans were theatrically released in the US, along with History of the World, Part I. What a great day to be given life! This is a great list, by the way. I really enjoyed it. I saw The NeverEnding Story in 1984, and it frightened me so much that it took me 25 years to re-watch it. But for some reason, Gremlins had little to no effect on me.

BTW, my own list so far:

1981: Raiders of the Lost Ark 1982: E.T. 1983: tie between The Return of the Jedi and A Christmas Story 1984: The Karate Kid 1985: Pee Wee's Big Adventure

15th May 2009 17:40#13

Very cool list and it brings back memories. My choices would be the exact same up until 1982 when POLTERGEIST changed my life in the direction of more horror! I still love many genres, but that was a turning point of sorts. My choices get darker after that with SCARFACE in '83 and A NIGHTMARE ON ELM ST. in '84. 1985 was all about BACK TO THE FUTURE,though. I honestly wasn't a big fan of THE GOONIES originally, but I have to see it again sometime.

15th May 2009 17:49#14

This list is great reading, but it makes me feel young indeed. I just realized how few significant "classics" were released 87 and onward, and in comparison I never had a "legendary" cinema experience. Tim Burton's Batman-films, Ghostbusters, Stephen King's IT and all sorts of Lou Ferrigno Hulk films were the fodder for my VHS-player growing up though.

15th May 2009 17:57#15

roadogg31 wrote: The day I was born, both Raiders of the Lost Ark and Clash of the Titans were theatrically released in the US, along with History of the World, Part I. What a great day to be given life!

I was born on the day of 'The Godfather'-Premiere in Los Angeles. One of my most favourite films!

Nice list btw. But I'm not a Star Wars Fan. My choices for 1977 and 1980 are 'Smokey and the Bandit' and 'Raging Bull'. I'm not sure about 1983.

15th May 2009 21:00#18

I don't have the time to write mine Chris, and I picked many of the same as you, so here's what I was picking for my first 10:

1980: Empire Strikes Back 1981: American Werewolf in London (didn't see it until I was older, but it scared me) 1982: ET 1983: Return of the Jedi 1984: Ghostbusters 1985: Follow That Bird (I hate the Goonies, and I loved Big Bird at the time) 1986: Big Trouble in Little China 1987: Robocop 1988: Akira 1989: Batman 1990: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

16th May 2009 10:25#19

Oh man, now that I think about it, 84 was a huge year. Can't go wrong picking Terminator, that would have to be my pick for 84 just because of how bugnuts crazy that film was and seeing it for the first time and imaging the war (which is why I'm excited about Salvation).

I fall into the old fart category it would seem. Being a child of the 60's, my list would have to start with my first year of remembering the movies I saw in the theater which would be 1969. I saw True Grit at the drive inn and that was also the year Connery wasn't Bond for the first time in 5 films.

But probably the first year that really kicked off my movie mania was the following year 1970. It was the last year I can remember us having two new westerns out in the same year by John Wayne and Clint Eastwood (Chisum and Two Mules for Sister Sarah respectively) and THX 1138 had it's original limited release. My older sister took me to see Beneath the Planet of the Apes, which was the standout movie of that year for me mainly because it had apes running around in it, LOL.

16th May 2009 17:23#21

I was born in 83 so there's a lot of classics I unfortunately missed that are in my list as the best (Blade Runner, Good Bad and Ugly). Not going for any 'cred' by this list, these are my personal favorites from the first ten that have sentimental value.

18th May 2009 8:00#23

This could very well be my own list. Even though Temple of Doom and Rambo 2 would take the spots for 84 and 85, Gremlins and Goonies were personal favorites as well.

I also find it a bit harder to select 'classics' from the current decade. I think it's because Reboots and Realism have become the ruling trends. The end result is that cinema in the 2000's is almost a polar opposite for that of the 1980's. The latter placed a greater value on things like Originality and Escapism, which is probably why Hollywood is still feeding off of those 80's franchises.

Just as the lighter 80's followed a relatively somber 70's, I'd actually like to see a similar shift occur in the next decade.

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